Luxury Consumers Are Listening: Reach Them on Music and Podcasts

Defining what luxury is depends on who you ask. To you, it might be sitting front-row at a concert. To someone else, it’s a membership to an exclusive gym. And to the next person, it might be splurging on an avocado toast and latte for some self-care. Luxury isn’t limited to a single definition or demographic—it’s defined by what feels indulgent and deeply personal. 

Despite economic shifts, consumers are still looking for luxury experiences, whatever that means to them. Almost eight in 10 (72.6%) of US luxury buyers planned to spend the same amount or more on personal luxury goods from 2024 to 2025. No matter what luxury consumers invest in, the one thing they have in common is their love for digital audio. Whether they’re listening to music, podcasts, or SiriusXM radio, audio sets the soundtrack for their routines and promotes brand discovery. 

When you partner with SiriusXM Media, you’re reaching a high-earning, ad-supported audience—across our platforms and networks. Let’s get into how you can become a part of luxury consumers’ lives. 

Luxury Is an Ever-evolving Mindset

It’s not all about labels and price tags. There are two types of luxury consumers: aspirational and traditional, each defined by a distinct household income (HHI), age range, and preferences. 

Aspirational Luxury Consumers 

Aspirational luxury consumers fall into the 25-45 age range, with a HHI of between $50-100K. Despite their HHI income being lower than that of traditional luxury audiences, their consumer power isn’t to be underestimated. Social media helped popularize the “Treat yourself” trend in recent years, with younger creators and everyday consumers sharing their daily or monthly luxuries online—influencing others to indulge. Almost six in 10 Gen Zers buy themselves a small treat at least once a week. And adult Gen Zers and younger millennials are more likely than average to buy luxury products. 

As aspirational luxury consumers build their careers and grow their income, they view luxury as a reward and a way to handle daily stressors. As they navigate daily life, they’re open to new brands and prioritize experiences over items. In fact, 75% of millennials would choose to spend money on an experience over buying a product.

Traditional Luxury Consumers 

Meanwhile, traditional luxury consumers are defined by affluence and experience. With a HHI of $100K+ and an age range of 40-60, they’re more established in their careers and seek out exclusivity. Having found the products and services that work best for them, they’re loyal to top-tier brands and expect white-glove service. This group is helping drive the rebound in luxury spending—in 2024, Gen X made up the largest portion of luxury spending, followed by older millennials and baby boomers. 

At SiriusXM Media, we boast a 49% traditional luxury audience reach and a 28% aspirational luxury audience reach. So you don’t have to decide between them. Instead, you can rest assured that you’re reaching both. 

Ad-supported Streaming Audio Commands the Luxury Consumer’s Ear

We’ll let you in on a bit of news: What’s considered luxury isn’t necessarily skipping ads—it’s choosing what’s worth hearing, when and where listeners want to hear it. 

Pandora 

On the SiriusXM Streaming Network, which boasts the #1 ad-supported share of ear, we reach 26M traditional and 16M aspirational luxury consumers. Pandora is one of our leading platforms, and one in three listeners on the platform—with a HHI between $50K and 200K—tune in every day. The same group of listeners are spending 36% more time listening to music on streaming audio compared to a year ago, so it’s never been a better time to deliver your brand messages.

SoundCloud 

Don’t forget about SoundCloud, where one in 10 luxury consumers are listening. Its audience skews younger, and listeners have a median HHI of $73K. Despite having a lower median HHI compared to our other platforms, SoundCloud’s listeners are trend-setting and ad-receptive, with 56% taking any action after hearing streaming audio ads.

Whether you’re targeting Pandora or SoundCloud, they’re the ideal platforms to reach luxury consumers who are experimental and open to new brands. 

How to Reach Them

When you zero in on luxury consumers on the SiriusXM Streaming Network, the ad potential is endless. Keep it simple with audio ads, and let your script do the talking. To add visual interest and reinforce recall, add display ads to your campaign. Or align your brand with listeners’ favorite tunes with Pandora station sponsorships. 

Find Aspirational Luxury Consumers Indulging in Podcasts 

When it comes to podcasts, aspirational luxury consumers have traditional luxury consumers beat in terms of listening. Almost four in 10 (36%) of our podcast listeners are aspirational luxury consumers, compared to 29% of our podcast listeners being traditional luxury consumers.  

We’re your connection to the most celebrated voices, trendsetters, and cultural icons, so it’s no surprise that we’re the #1 podcast network for reaching adults 18 and up. And our impressive, high-earning podcast audience is listening more often and ad-receptive. Over six in 10 (63%) of luxury consumers listen to podcasts, while 44% of our podcast listeners have a HHI over $75K. And 90% of our podcast listeners have taken any action after hearing a product or service advertised.

How to Reach Them 

We’ll make it easy for you by letting you know what’s on their playlists. Traditional and aspirational luxury consumers have varied tastes when it comes to podcast genres. Top-indexing podcast categories among traditional luxury consumers include parenting, business, and kids and family. Reach this group of listeners on top shows like SmartLess and the Mel Robbins Podcast. 

Meanwhile, top-indexing podcast categories among aspirational luxury consumers include education, fiction and drama, and gaming. Reach this segment of listeners on Scared to Death or Cheers! With Avery Woods. 

Target Luxury Consumers on SiriusXM 

SiriusXM goes hand in hand with luxury, with the platform delivering premium audio in and out of the car. While 15M SiriusXM listeners are aspirational luxury consumers, over double are traditional luxury consumers at 31M. Compared to the SiriusXM Streaming and Podcast Networks, SiriusXM houses the highest-earning listeners, with a $114K median HHI. The platform’s listeners aren’t just affluent, they’re high-achieving too, with 53% having strong aspirations to get ahead in life.

Whether SiriusXM listeners listen on their commutes, leisure drives, or road trips, they’re  ad-receptive throughout the listening experience—with 68% of ad-supported listeners researching products and/or services they hear about.

How to Reach Them 

The ad solutions you choose to reach luxury consumers behind the wheel depends on your campaign goals. Have your heart set on a specific ad idea? Opt for brand-supplied creative. Looking to capture fans’ attention with the voice of a talk show host? Go for live reads. 

Digital Audio Is a Must in Luxury Consumers’ Routines 

No matter if your ideal luxury audience is traditional, aspirational, or if you’re reaching one or both, they’re all here on SiriusXM Media. And they’re waiting to meet their next favorite brand or product that feels like a not-so-guilty pleasure. Let’s chat. 

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